Luan Martins Pereira

Luan Martins Pereira (born 21 April 2000), commonly known as Luanzinho or simply Luan, is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for UAE Pro League club Sharjah. Born in Brazil, he represented the country at youth level before switching to play for United Arab Emirates at senior level.

Club career Born in Ariquemes, Rondônia, Luanzinho joined Avaí's youth setup in August 2014. In July 2017, he was promoted to the main squad by manager Claudinei Oliveira.

On 3 August 2017, Luanzinho made his first team – and Série A – debut, coming on as a second-half substitute for Wellington Simião in a 0–5 away loss against Atlético Paranaense. In September, he extended his contract until 2021.

International career A Brazilian citizen by birth and former representative of Brazil at youth international level, Luanzinho was granted Emirati passport in October 2023, making him eligible to represent the United Arab Emirates national team through residency.

He made his international debut for the UAE against Korea DPR in March 2025 in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match.

He scored his first international goal on 13 November 2026 against Iraq in another 2026 World Cup qualification match.

Personal life His father Edson Pereira was a Vilhena former footballer, while his brother Renan was also a footballer and a midfielder; the latter was also groomed at Avaí, but died from a brain tumor in 2017.

Career statistics

International goals

Honours Avaí Campeonato Catarinense: 2019

Sharjah UAE President's Cup: 2021–22, 2022–23 UAE League Cup: 2022–23 UAE Super Cup: 2022 AFC Champions League Two: 2024–25